Designs That Change Lives: UX Boot Camp and Kiva

The Editors

“The UX Boot Camp is a transformational experience, disguised as a training.”

- Lead UX Boot Camp Teacher, Stefan Klocek

In each UX Boot Camp, participants dive headfirst into design. They are challenged by a real-world problem and in just four days produce clever design solutions tailored to their clients needs.

At the UX Boot Camp with Kiva, the designers’ mission was to envision web concepts that helped Kiva lenders decide which loans are best for them and facilitate the loan selection process. Currently, lenders can feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the number of borrowers and different types of loans. So Kiva was looking for ways to empower lenders and help them make decisions with their money.

While all their concepts expressed unique opportunities, some particularly significant themes emerged:

Put hot triggers in front of motivated users. Find places where users are in a financial planning mindset, or might be moved by a powerful article. For Kiva this could mean a link after a particular New York Times article or a partnership with a site people use to check their finances, like Mint.

Be sensitive to the amount of information you provide users. Options are great, but too many can overwhelm. An effort to help users refine their options produced concepts for Kiva users to explore loans by category or create profiles that automatically filter their choices

People want to connect to other people. They want to see their impact on the world. This user goal became a way for current users to invite future users, and for lenders follow the impact of their loan.

It’s an intense four days, but at the end of the week, it’s all worth it. Designers walk away with new design tools, collaboration techniques and a smart concept to add to their portfolio.

The UX Boot Camp is also an opportunity for stakeholders to take a look at their organization with a fresh eyes and critical lens. After the Kiva Boot Camp stakeholders heard the pitches from each team, we checked in with them to see how they felt about the process and what they walked away with.

You can also read their thoughts about the impact of the UX Boot Camp on the Kiva Blog.

Want to join us?

If working on a project with real-world implications and improving collaboration skills with a new team sounds like your style of learning, let’s stay in touch. Join our mailing list to learn about upcoming UX Boot Camp classes.

Also, if you know of any awesome nonprofits that would benefit from some UX design love, tell them to email us at uxbcpartnership@cooper.com.

You can catch the day-by-day breakdown of the UX Boot Camp: Kiva told by the participants and instructors on Storify.